The new bestselling Bible translation Common English Bible (http://CommonEnglishBible.com) is being adopted by churches to help people become more scripturally literate.
One such church is the 6200-member Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, reading the entire Bible in a year (http://www.fourthchurch.org/bibleyear.html) and making its program available to anyone internationally online. It conducts two weekly Bible studies, as well as offers daily devotions on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/fourthchurch) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/FourthChicago).
Another church is Arlington Heights United Methodist Church, Fort Worth, TX (http://ahumcfw.org/90days.html), where members are using the Common English Bible (Twitter @CommonEngBible – http://twitter.com/CommonEngBible) to read the entire New Testament in 90 Days (the reading plan is available at http://j.mp/wiYhFf).
Church (pew) Bibles are available in bulk quantities for churches to use in the course of their sanctuary or education center use. Less than traditional-looking “Casual Church Editions” (hardcover 9781609260750; softcover 9781609260941) are designed for more contemporary and mobile worship settings. The softcover editions are priced strategically to encourage churches to give these to visitors to take home after attending a service. More information is at http://j.mp/nxLFHZ.
According to Gallup surveys, readership of the Bible has declined from the 1980s, from 73% to 59% today. Only 28% of Americans say they regularly study the Bible to find direction in their lives. And 61% of Americans think the Bible should be easier to read.*
“The Common English Bible is a highly exact yet very readable Bible translation, built on common ground with academic rigor and denomination neutrality, which clearly communicates ancient sacred text in understandable 21st century English,” says Paul Franklin, PhD, associate publisher.
A new embeddable 60-second video is now available online (http://vimeo.com/CommonEnglishBible), showing how the Common English Bible is an uncommon translation that clearly communicates in today’s terms God’s message of love to everyone, no matter what age, gender, station in life, or other personal outlook.
The Common English Bible is a collaboration of 120 Bible scholars and editors, 77 reading group leaders, and more than 500 average readers from around the world. The translators – from 24 denominations in American, African, Asian, European, and Latino communities – represent such academic institutions as Asbury Theological Seminary, Azusa Pacific University, Bethel Seminary, Denver Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, Seattle Pacific University, Wheaton College, Yale University, and many others.
The Common English Bible is written in contemporary idiom at the same reading level as the newspaper USA TODAY—using language that’s comfortable and accessible for today’s English readers. More than half-a-million copies of the Bible are already in print, including an edition with the Apocrypha. The Common English Bible is available for purchase online and in 20 digital formats. A Reference Bible edition and a Daily Companion devotional edition are now also available. Additionally, in 2012, Church/Pew Bibles, Gift and Award Bibles, Large Print Bibles, and Children’s Bible editions will be in stores, joining the existing Thinline Bibles, Compact Thin Bibles, and Pocket-Size Bibles, bringing the total variety of Common English Bible stock-keeping units (SKUs) to more than 40.
Visit CommonEnglishBible.com to see comparison translations, learn about the translators, get free downloads, and more.
The Common English Bible is sponsored by the Common English Bible Committee, an alliance of five publishers that serve the general market, as well as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (Chalice Press), Presbyterian Church (USA) (Westminster John Knox Press), Episcopal Church (Church Publishing, Inc.), United Church of Christ (The Pilgrim Press), and The United Methodist Church (Abingdon Press).
For a media review copy of the Common English Bible and to schedule an interview with Paul Franklyn, please contact Audra Jennings, ajennings@tbbmedia.com at 1.800.927.1517.